Rob Goodspeed's blog

The New York Times Sunday Magazine features this week an article about the “Girls Gone Wild” video series and Joseph Franci, the owner of the $100 million per year business, looking to expand into themed restaurants. Unfortunately, Mr. Francis has found himself in a bit of legal trouble:

“In [the Panama City Beach, Florida] case, Mr. Francis and some of his employees are charged with racketeering, obscenity and enticing underage girls to expose themselves and engage in sex acts during spring break last year. Mr. Francis has pleaded not guilty. While he awaits trial, the Miami Beach police are investigating an allegation by a 21-year-old woman that he drugged and raped her in his hotel room in South Beach last month, although the police report said she wasn’t sure what had happened. …

Mr. Francis denies all the charges. He countered that officials in Panama City Beach, whom he sued to prevent them from interfering with his camera crews last year, are using him to try to get rid of spring breakers in hopes of attracting family tourism. Through a spokesman, he said this week that he is willing to take a lie detector test to prove that he and the woman accusing him in Miami Beach had consensual sex. … “